Influencers: Lucian Freud, British Artist

Last night the sad news came to light that Lucien Freud had passed away at age 88. In honor of this influential, and at times controversial, great British painter we wanted to share a few pieces of work from his seminal career; and been of great influence to art, design, literature, science and fashion as a whole.

Born in Berlin, Freud was the son of an architect and as a teen attended the Central School of Art in London, and later London Goldsmiths College first focusing solely on drawing, before turning to paint; the medium his name became so synonymous with.

Increasingly sought after, his career spanned over 50 years and he became most prolific for his nude portraiture and figurative work, thick use of paint and dramatic brush stroke. The study above Benefits Supervisor Sleeping, of one of his many muses Fat Sue (Sue Tilley) sold in 2008 for £20.6m, a world record sale for a piece by a living artist.

Among many high profile people, The Queen and a pregnant Kate Moss were lucky enough to have sat for the artist.

As a regular exhibitor at the Tate in London, director Nicholas Serota commemorated the artist, perfectly summarizing his impact on the art world.

“The vitality of his nudes, the intensity of the still life paintings and the presence of his portraits of family and friends guarantee Lucian Freud a unique place in the pantheon of late twentieth century art. His early paintings redefined British art and his later works stand comparison with the great figurative painters of any period.”

A great painter, and a great character. He will be missed. – Samantha Fox